Fulton Homes and Phoenix Suns Partner for Charity

When a Phoenix Suns player hits a three-pointer, excitement is high and the crowd goes wild. But it means much more to the Phoenix Suns charities thanks to Fulton Homes. With the Fulton “Proud to own the Three-Point Zone” program, Fulton Homes will donate $100 for every three-point shot the Phoenix Suns make during any of their games this season.

Phoenix Suns charities provide grants focusing on children and young people. The areas of attention for the organization include education, health and human services, the arts and sports as well as recreation and rehabilitation.

There are 80 televised games this season and the Suns average 6.7 three-point shots per game, which means that Fulton Homes’ commitment is substantial.

“Fulton Homes is really excited to partner again with the Phoenix Suns to benefit Phoenix Suns Charities,” Doug Fulton, CEO of Fulton Homes, said. “If the Suns keep their three-point game up, we could be giving quite a bit to worthy causes.”

The “Proud to own the Three-Point Zone” program is just one of many charitable efforts by Fulton Homes. With the company based here in the Valley, Fulton is committed to being a strong community partner with organizations that make a difference.

So when you watch a Suns game this season, you’ve got more than one reason to cheer when a player makes a three-point shot, because the money donated as a result will give children in our community a better shot too.

A Fulton Neighborhood

Finding the right home can be exciting and fun. And it’s just as important to find the right neighborhood for you and your family.

Fulton Homes recognizes that, and focuses its efforts to creating each community to suit the needs of its homebuyers.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a neighborhood as well as a home.

Location: Are you close to good schools for your children and shopping to meet your family’s needs? You may also want to drive your commute to work, so that you know how long it will take and can plan accordingly.

Amenities: Does your community offer parks, pools or other features that your family will use and enjoy? With a community pool such as the one shown above from Fulton’s Ironwood Crossing that includes a splash pad for the younger ones separated from the main pool area with a fence, children of all ages can enjoy this center. Parents can appreciate the benefits of this neighborhood pool without the cost and effort of owning one.

Neighbors: With a new home community, everyone moves in at about the same time and many people will look forward to getting to know others on their block. Consider starting a block party with pot-luck food and games for the kids to help them get comfortable with each other. This is also a great chance to find babysitters and learn more about restaurants and shops close by.

Take the time to explore your options when it comes to neighborhoods as well as houses. Look for a place that will work well for you and your family and you will feel as at home outside your front door as you do inside.

Bring a Taste of the Outside Inside with Fresh Flowers

With the Arizona summer barely half over, we can look forward to the future days to come when it will be more pleasant to spend time outside. One good way to bring the feeling of the outside into your home is with fresh flowers.

Shop your favorite florist, pick some from your garden, and check out the flowers available at your grocery or warehouse store. Look for flowers that are perky, with buds only partially open so that they will last.

Put flowers where you spend most of your time. Take a look at this home office to the right. A small bunch of flowers like these gerbera daisies tucked behind the computer monitor add a bright spot to your space. Gerberas are available in a rich variety of colors in one bouquet.  You can also look for flowers with a nice, fresh scent to add a real perfume to your room.

 

If you’re uncomfortable making your own flower arrangements, go simple. The arrangement at the top of the post is made up of only yellow tulips, all cut to about the same length. Even simpler, how about tackling the easy option to the left. This also uses gerbera daisies, but by using only one or two flowers per vase, you create an almost sculptural look. This is also an inexpensive option since you only have to use a few stems.

For those of you who would rather buy flowers, one bunch can be affordable, so don’t hesitate to experiment. If they don’t turn out the way you imagined, they will still be beautiful. Even the process of arranging flowers can be relaxing and enjoyable. Give yourself a present of fresh flowers every now and again, and bring the best of the season inside.

Enrich Your Dining Room with Built-in Buffet

If you would like a buffet or china cabinet in your dining room but don’t want to sacrifice the space, a built-in might be the right solution for you.

If you choose to go in this direction, take a look at this successful installation from Fulton Home’s Tehama model in the Victoria Estates community. Here are a few design tips to help create a successful built-in buffet in your home.

Stay consistent: If your built-in will be stained wood, make sure it has the same basic tone as any other wood in the room. Notice that the table and chairs complement the buffet, while a touch of glaze on the cabinetry separates it from the other wood in the room.

Keep the furniture look: The height and depth variation in the buffet along with the floor molding help this piece read like furniture in the dining room rather than a traditional built-in. The inset is also a different height from the ceiling, wrapping itself around the piece as though the alcove was made for the buffet rather than the other way around.

Manage your flooring: Using tile or stone flooring to help contrast these beautiful wood cabinets, dining table, and chairs  will look better than wood flooring. Also, while it might be tempting to add an area rug, the location of the rug’s edge could affect people’s ability to walk comfortably next to the buffet.

Stay coordinated but not matchy-matchy: The rich rust on the walls, the soft taupe curtains, the artwork, and accessories pull all of the room’s elements together. Using a granite countertop for the buffet, the antique rattan chairs at the head and foot of the table also create an individualized look for both elements in the dining room.

By adding this built-in, the homeowner gained a generous amount of storage, a great solution for entertaining family and guests, and an additional sense of drama for the room itself. Consider built-ins when you make design plans. You may find them to be just the right solution for your home.

Master Bedroom Lighting Creates Relaxed Environment

While this master bedroom is spacious and inviting, the feature that makes it stand out is the lighting. This is an area that is often ignored when decorating, but its impact is significant.

This room, the master bedroom from Fulton Home’s Tehama model at Victoria Estates, actually has four lighting options available, along with a number of variations. The first choice is natural light. With plenty of windows, daylight would find this room cheerful and appealing.

In the evening, the ceiling fan provides a broad base of overall lighting with one flip of the switch. For a cozier look, keep that light off and take advantage of the spots on the ceiling. This type of lighting is softer and can be used to or provide a little minimal light. Dimmers on these lights give the owner even more options for light levels.

Finally, lamps on either side of the bed offer task lighting for a reader and add personality with the light patterns on the walls. Thanks to the variety of lighting options, this room can be brightly lit to make it easy to clean out drawers or make the bed. But it can also set a mood or just provide a comfortable space to watch television or read for a while before going to sleep.

Whatever room you work with, giving yourself a choice of lighting options makes the space more versatile. For example, spotlights can highlight artwork or just provide a little more light to brighten up a dark corner. Lamps can make a large room cozy by keeping the focus on one area. They also add a decorative touch. Lighting is as important to your décor as furniture and accessories. Like this bedroom, the more lighting options you create the more control you have over a room’s look and mood.

Family Room with Forest Flair

Do you love the look of trees and leaves? With just a few touches you can create a hint of woodland style in your home. Let’s take a look at how this was accomplished in this family room, found in the Harmonique model at Fulton Home’s Ashcreek Community.

You might want to start with a hand scraped wood floor such as the one shown in this room. The rich mid-tone brown and the interesting surface bring a woodsy feel right into the space. The colors of the room also create the right mood, with numerous browns, rusty oranges and lighter tones calling to mind a forest with a hint of fall and plenty of sunshine.

Notice the preponderance of leaves throughout the patterns selected for this room’s décor. From the traditional acanthus leaves bordering the rug to the more daring selection of curtains with a variety of stylized leaves on a very dark brown background, the more leaves the better.

The art also echoes the forest with embossed leaf images hanging between the windows and the framed vines to the left of the fireplace. Lots of greenery wraps up the image, providing a sensation of being among the plants found on an outdoor hike through the trees.

Some people may feel that this much emphasis on leaves may make too much of a statement. But for those who love the woods with its engaging look, style, and mood, this room creates a sense of comfort. If you feel you may be part dryad, indulge your love of trees and leaves with a room like this. It will be a constant source of pleasure.

Glass Block Creates Great Door-free Shower in Luxury Bath

With today’s larger master bathrooms, new design details can add to both style and functionality. This bath’s shower, from the Malibu model in the Shoreline community, is a great example.

Using glass block to replace traditional shower doors or curtains creates a dramatic design element. The shower’s size and layout also makes it particularly functional for couples, because the dual heads enable both to shower at the same time.

Notice the small step into the shower area. This is not just a design element. The minimal slant toward the drain the step provides keeps the water away from the rest of the room. The minimal-threshold also helps make this home work as owners get older, part of the new approach of “aging in place” that smart homebuilders such as Fulton consider with their designs.

This bathroom has all the elements needed for two. Separate vanities and sinks provide the space for couples to stay out of each other’s way while still being together. Both have plenty of storage, and the layouts are different enough that they complement each other rather than looking like twin spaces.

Design touches such as the mirror frames and the specialized trim on the tile in the shower and above the vanities add a luxurious touch to the space. The cabinetry, tile and glass block work together to give the room a rich and spa-like style. Altogether, this master bath is very functional, but the special design elements create a bath that is also inviting and comfortable.

A Dining Room that is Functional and Appealing

Some smart decisions help make this dining room work particularly well.

When you have the space, a buffet is always an asset. Depending upon the event, it’s nice to have the top of the buffet available for appetizers or self-help desserts. With a larger party, the chairs can be pulled toward the walls, enabling you to use both the buffet and the table for food presentation.

It’s convenient to have the dining room accessible to the backyard for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Because this dining room, from Fulton Home’s Harmonique model at Ashcreek, has access to the back patio, it can be used during a barbeque as a place to stage cold food. Or you can set it up for people who prefer to eat inside and they will still feel like part of the group.

The dramatic chandelier is hung perfectly – at 30-34 inches above the dining table. Notice that the table, chandelier and lamp on the buffet all have similar metal elements. This helps keep the room in balance given the amount of wood present.

When it comes to draperies, adding a wide border of contrasting or patterned fabric to either the top or bottom of each panel creates a striking look. This drapery length is smart. It provides some of the luxurious feeling of pooling at the floor while staying short enough to make it easy to get in and out of the sliding glass doors. The weight of the fabric is also important. A lighter panel would be difficult to manage on windy days.

Choosing wood rather than carpeting for the flooring is also a smart decision. With people coming in from outside, wood is easier to keep clean. With the right finish, once-over with a dust mop will pick up most dirt quickly.

Altogether, this room was designed for entertaining, whether you’re talking about a formal dinner for eight, or a casual pot-luck supper for several families.

Luxurious Master Suite Made for Relaxing

Today, many master bedrooms & baths are designed to be much more than functional. This roomy master suite, part of the Shoreline model in the Santa Monica community, provides extra space, extra comfort and extra style in every area.

The master bedroom itself is roomy, but not at the expense of the rest of the suite. The long vanity in the bathroom provides his and her areas with individual sinks and plenty of cabinetry to hold personal items without crowding. The center provides a place to sit for applying makeup or just relaxing. The generous glass block window is a rich source of natural light.

Another plus possible because of this spacious bath is a combination of a comfortable soaking tub and a spacious stand-up shower.

Choosing a diagonal angle for the floor tile makes the aisle between the cabinetry and the shower and tub feel wider and more spacious.

The entire space is designed and decorated to reproduce the comfort and luxury of a personal spa. By choosing flooring, countertops and wallpaper that coordinate without matching, the bathroom feels more interconnected. Dark cabinetry provides a nice contrast, and the framing around the mirror brings the darker tone up toward the ceiling.

Notice the large closet at the back of the bath, complete with built-ins to handle all of your clothes. Once again, the closet has plenty of room for two wardrobes. The full-length mirrors on the sliding closet doors help you make sure you look your best without taking away valuable floor or wall space.

With the demands of today’s life and the responsibilities of family and work, a master bedroom suite like this one – with space in every area – creates the opportunity to get away from your tensions without leaving your home.

Laundry Room Provides More than Clean Clothes

As homebuilders, we at Fulton  understand the needs of women and families and have turned the simple laundry room in some of our models into a full-service space for supporting a number of home needs.

This room from the Tehama model in the Victoria Estates community is a great example.

First, the room provides a deep sink for hand washing and pre-rinsing clothes. It’s large enough to soak the chlorine out of a couple of swimsuits or bleach a soccer uniform that had lots of contact with grass and dirt. Having the sink right next to the washer helps minimize drips on the nice tile floor.

The laundry cupboard space can be used for sewing supplies, extra school or office supplies, or holiday storage. With this many cabinets, special serving dishes for entertaining could also find plenty of room here.

With all the counter space, there’s room for individual laundry baskets for every family member. Dirty clothes would be placed in the assigned hampers and delivered to the laundry room on a specific day and the clean clothes would be replaced in the containers, ready for a trip back to each room. This may be a pipe dream, but it’s worth a shot!

The counter  space complete with electrical outlets creates the perfect opportunity for setting up a common place for specialized technology tools such as a color laser printer or copy/scan/fax machine. With Wi-Fi easily installed in a home, everyone can send their printing requests to the one printer and then walk over to the laundry room to pick up their papers.

And while they’re there, maybe they’ll take the time to bring their clean clothes back to their rooms. Parents can always dream.